My Favorite Melody
by Rellikai
Summary: It's finally time for Shuichi to make good on his promise to go over to Kaede's house so that they can "perform their duet practice, talk, and watch TV". KaedexShuichi. Pure, unadulterated Saikamatsu fluff. Nothing more, nothing less.
1. DID YOU GET THE FISHY-FISHY DESU-CHAN?

My mind was racing at a mile a minute. So many thoughts, scenarios, and what-ifs flew around in my head like hornets inside their nest. My heart was beating with such force, I felt like I might fall over and collapse. As I ran around my room, picking up loose sheet music, long emptied cups of boba... stray articles of clothing that I _definitely_ did not want to be laying out and about, I continuously shouted at my idiotic self for idioting more than any other idiot in the history of idiots has ever idioted!

 _"Why, why, WHY did I have to sleep in today? Of ALL days!"_

I continued to act as if I didn't know why it had happened. I did my best to not acknowledge the fact that I had been so wired last night that I couldn't get to sleep. How could I, with the next day being what it was! Not even my partner had been able to help me out! It didn't matter what I played or how softly: Chopin's Nocturne Op 37, Ravel's Pavane for a Dead Princess, Satie's Gymnopedie No 1, not even my own renditions of Bach's Air and Puccini's Una Furtiva; NOTHING could get me to sleep! I played and played and played until I couldn't even distinguish the pieces from one another anymore. Everything became a dirtied canvass of notes, scales, and chords as the keys began to blur together.

The next thing I knew, I had woken up, the imprint of two of the black keys etched into my cheek and a puddle of drool that had pooled on the keyboard, no doubt dripping down between the gaps. It was light out already, and I thought that it was still morning. But as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and the drool from my chin, my gaze wandered around my piano's room until it landed on the clock mounted on the wall. _1:25._

 _"Huh. That's weird. If it's 1:25 in the morning, then it should still be dark out."_ And as my mind began to wake at the call of my mental efforts, my eyes slowly began to widen as I stared out the window into the bright, beautiful, gorgeous day outside that mocked me with it's splendor. _"IT'S 1:25 IN THE AFTERNOON!"_

I burst through the door of the piano room like a killer robot from the future and proceeded to gracefully trip over myself in a series of demonstrations of my agile prowess. The tripping against walls and slipping on rugs sliding across smooth, laminate flooring was just me showing off. Hearing the commotion, my mom emerged from her post in the kitchen, spatula in hand, ready for...something.

"I'll tell you one thing, if you think you can just barge in here and take whatever isn't nailed to the floor, you' have got-!" My mother ceased, mid threat, as she gazed down at me in a jumbled pile of limbs. She let out a labored breath as she placed her hand over her chest, "Oh, criminy sweetie, it's just you. What in the world are you doing there on the floor? Isn't your friend supposed to be getting here soon? And just look at you!"

She grabbed hand and hoisted me up into a standing, and much more dignified, position as she began to fuss all over me from head to toe.

"Still in your Pjs, wrinkled I might add, dried drool caked on your chin, your lovely hair more tangled than a teenage girl's iPod earbuds, and on top of all that, you've got your girls just hanging out for the world to ogle!" My blinked several times, unsure of what that had exactly meant, before looking downwards to find half my pajama top's buttons undone. I felt fire in my cheeks as I closed the curtain of my top.

"Gagh! Yes, I know mom! I just woke up!"

"Just now? You know your friend is supposed to be here at two, right?"

"Yes! I! Do! I need to get ready!" I cried out as I bypassed my mom and began ascending the stairs leading up to the second floor. "And I told you I was gonna need to use the kitchen when he gets here, didn't I!?"

"Yes, I know! I'm just making myself some lunch! Is that okay, your highness?"

"Ugh, yes! Just please make sure you're done soon! And did you remember to get the salmon from the store?"

"Yes, your majesty, I fetched it from the kindly fisherman at the bazaar over yonder just before-!"

"I _get_ it, thank you!" I was in a hurry. No, _more_ than a hurry! I didn't have time to be dealing with my mom's ridiculousness right now. I _still_ needed to clean my room, get dressed, brush my hair, do my makeup, and-

"Remember to put a bra on, honey!" The whole world suddenly got a lot closer as my foot tripped on the lip of the final step, bringing me face down into a make-out session with the carpet that I'm sure neither it, nor I consented to.

"Oh my god, mom!" As quickly as I could, I pulled myself up from the floor and bolted for my room before I had to hear any more words of mortification catapulted from my mother's mouth. It's times like these when I wish my feet could be even a quarter as competent as my hands. I slammed my door shut and began getting to work. There was _literally_ not a moment to spare!

* * *

And here I am now, flying around my room like a hen being chased by a fox, trying desperately to get both it and myself into something that could pass for presentable. I tossed clothes into my closet, sheet music was stuffed into drawers, miscellaneous trash was discreetly kicked under my bed, and slowly, the room eventually came together. I took a moment to admire my handiwork; everything in it's place, straight and tidy, I would dare even say that you would think it were the room of someone who was mature and had their act together... minus all the pink and white.

I wiped a film of sweat that had built up on my forehead before plopping down on my newly made bed, exhaling a tired, but satisfied sigh. I was really all set to lay there for a little while to catch my breath, before I heard the distinct opening motif of Beethoven's 5th blaring from the speaker of my phone. I reached over to grab the noisy device before bringing it in line with my face... and immediately proceeded to choke on my own spit. Through the coughing and retching and gasping, I could see those three little numbers in my mind floating ominously in front of my consciousness like a specter in the middle of a dark room. _1:48._

I used all my might to fight against my body's gag reflex and inhale to normalize my breathing again. Once it was clear that I was no longer in danger of dying a tragically pathetic death, in the middle of my pink and white chamber of girlyness, I brought myself up and ran to my closet to get dressed. Before I could open the door however, I stopped suddenly, as I could feel a rather pungent odor just barely tickling my nose. Turning my head to try and detect the source of this offensive assault upon my sense of smell, I soon cam to realize that no matter where I went in the room, the smell never got weaker or stronger.

Now I was just flat out confused. I poked my head out into the hallway, but the scent all but disappeared out there. It had to be in the room, somewhere. I began to frantically crawl around the perimeter of my room, trying to find whatever it could be as quickly as possible.

 _"Please, not now! He's going to be here any minute! I can't have some...THING rotting away in my room when he gets here! What even IS this? It's like... it smells like...chili cheese fries?"_ Well that was a head scratcher. I can't even remember having chili cheese fries any other time but at carnival my family and I would go to. And even then, I never brought any of them home. As I turned my head again, the smell suddenly got stronger. It was just barely, but it definitely was more noticeable. I stayed still, so as not to scare it off. I sniffed in the same direction I had been facing. Left, right, up...down. As I brought my nose lower, the odor was now definitely stronger.

And then suddenly, it dawned on me.

I stiffened and I could feel my brow darken as the horror of realization began to consume me like a snake swallowing it's prey whole. I sat in a kneeling position, as if ready to begin praying. Then I slowly, so carefully, raised my arm into the air, turned me head... and inhaled.

The gag the escaped my mouth could have been heard for miles. Past my neighborhood, through the streets of downtown, and probably even all the way to SnailPo world headquarters. Covering my mouth to prevent _any_ form of discharge, I peeked at my phone again. Not only did the time of 1:50 horrify me, but the fact that I also had a message notification made a stone drop to the bottom of my gut. I unlocked my phone, opened up the text... and a chill ran down my spine. Never could I have thought that 17 simple, little words could shake me so thoroughly and with not a single trace of mercy.

 **"Hey, I'm on my way! I should be able to get there in less than ten minutes."-** * +:｡.｡Shuichi｡.｡:+ *

My hands trembled, struggling to keep hold of my phone, as my eyes passed over to the time when I received that message. _1:47._

Then, once my eyes shot to the top of my phone's screen at the movement of the clock's numbers, I saw the dreaded reading of _1:51._ Suddenly, everything seemed to slow down. My pajamas were now gone. The floor, which had at one time been plush carpet, was now cold and hard tile. The slow clatter of the shower curtain rings rustled with the echoing jingle of a thousand keys. The gentle squeak of the shower knob as I turned the hot water on and vaulted myself over the rim of the bathtub beneath the falling stream of water.

Which I regretted instantly as I let out a glass shattering yelp while the frigid water rained down upon my very sensitive and delicate recently awakened body. But I had to endure. I must! I only have literal _minutes_ before he gets here. So steeling myself, I threw myself once again beneath the arctic falls and set to work to making myself _not_ smell like carnival food.

* * *

I stood in front of the mirror in my room frantically combing dry shampoo through my hair. I had decided ain't nobody got time for washing all this hair and then drying it as well. So this called for drastic measures! After ensuring my hair didn't look like I had just dipped it in a fry bath I set to work trying to get my outfit just right. I had come this far, I REFUSED to trip right at the finish line! I had thankfully been able to quickly settle on wearing a pink/black flannel shirt over a white top.

"Excellent! Half the wardrobe: done!" Now, however, I was stuck between a pair of jeans or cutoffs.

 _"I'm definitely going for the laid back type of look, so would jeans maybe clash too much with that? But then again, these cutoffs are... a little shorter than I remember them being. Ooh, then again, I guess he has already seen my legs, since I wore a skirt the first time we met. But maybe the cutoffs are TOO impersonal? I mean, this is the first time we're seeing each other since we got out of that whackadoo school. On the other hand, this IS my house, shouldn't I seem more relaxed than I'd normally be if we say, met up to go to the movies or the amusement park? God, I wish I had asked him what types of clothes he thinks look good on girls! Only now am I realizing the limited range of my notes. Idiot! You were probably thinking about the piano again when you SHOULD have been trying to cover all your ba-"_

 _DING-DONG BING-BONG DING-DONG BING-BONG_

I could my heart suddenly ramming against my chest. Each beat feeling like a heavyweight boxer delivering timed and powerful jabs to a punching bag. I started to flummox, my eyes darting back and forth between the jeans in my right hand and the cutoffs in my left. My panic finally hit the ceiling as I heard my mom call out to me, "Kaede! Aren't you going to answer the door?"

"Gagh!" With one final pathetic flailing dance of fail, I threw on the cutoffs and tucked my top into the waistband. Giving myself a once over before heading out into the field, I had to admit, for it being a literal last second rush job? Not too shabby.

 _"Oh, wait hold on a second..."_ I reached up and grabbed the underwire of my bra and adjusted it up just a smidge. I smiled, noting my handiwork, _"Nothing wrong with a girl trying to accentuate what she's got, right?"_

"Kaede!" My mom howled from downstairs.

"I'm coming! Jeez, I'm coming already!" I called out to her as I descended the stairs and made a beeline for the door. Grasping the knob in my hand, I took a deep breath through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. This never failed to help me whenever I got the jitters before a big recital... aaand yet for some reason, it is not working here.

Great.

So I steeled what resolve I _did_ have, and then I pulled the door open.

* * *

Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective, stood on the porch of my house wearing a crisp white collared shirt, black slacks, polished black loafers, and a black bow tie wrapped around his neck. In his hand, he carried a small bouquet of what looked like pink roses, acacia blossoms, and red carnations.

"Ah...uh...h-hi, Kaede. Um...I'm...here." He sputtered out. Taking in his appearance, up and down, along with the dusting of pink that graced his cheeks, he looked like he was picking up his first prom date, but had forgotten his coat back at home. That thought may have ordinarily gotten me all flustered, but those feelings were overtaken by how incredibly, hilariously _adorable_ I thought he looked, and I couldn't help but begin to laugh.

Even trying to hold it behind the dam of my hand, chuckles still leaked out around my fingers. I tried so hard to keep them in, because I knew the more I laughed, the more mortified poor Shuichi would become.

"Wh-wha-what's so funny?" He nervously blurted out as the pink in his cheeks began to become a fiery red.

"I'm sorryyyyyy..." I tried to force the words out between my giggling, but I just couldn't help it. He was so utterly precious! "I- I don't mean...I'm not trying to be... to be mean. You're just...you just look so formal!...You-you've even got the bow tie and flowers!" My giggling soon began to grow silent as I began running out of breath. I gasped for air and my laughter began to come down and I could actually manage to open my eyes and see him, bright scarlet, the flowers hidden behind his back, and looking down at the ground.

"I don't... I don't know what you're supposed to do when you go over to a girl's house. So I... I asked my uncle, and he said this is what _he_ did the first time he ever did it..."

 _"Guess that explains the bow then! Now I'm surprised he didn't also show up with suspenders and a fedora."_ I chuckled my last chuckle before I finally caught my breath and was able to actually converse with Shuichi, "I think you look great. Really, I do! You just caught me by surprise is all." I tried reassuring him with the friendliest smile I could possibly muster. Thankfully, this seemed to work, at least a little bit, as his shoulders became a little less tense.

"You... you really think so?" he queried, "I don't look too... dorky?"

I held in the bubbling urge to just start squealing. He's just too much! How is it possible for something that isn't a small, fluffy animal or sleeping baby to be this cute?

"Of course not! You look very..." _Come on! Think of some big, impressive word that will show him you're more than just a piano freak! Do it, NOW!_ "...nice!"

 _"Are you for real with that, right now? 'Nice'?Do you wanna show him your kindergarten graduation diploma too!?"_

Luckily, my embarrassment didn't have a chance to boil up too far, as the corners of Shuichi's lips were tugged upwards into a little smile, while he scratched at his hair, a habit I noticed whenever he was feeling embarrassed in some way or another.

"Oh, um... thank you. Ah you um- you look great too! Very insouciant and winsome," _I can't tell whether or not he's just trying to show off..._ "Pink really does seem to be your color. It really compliments your hair and goes well with your eyes. Agh! Not that, you know- not um... not that I was really studying you, or anything! It was just a uh... a thing I noticed, you know! Like when you're walking down the street and you look up at the really big clouds and you think to yourself, 'Oh hey, look! Those clouds are really big!' You know, like that! Ah hah hah hah... haaahhhhh..." Frantically searching for some sort of out, he whipped the bouquet out from behind his back and presented them to me.

"Um, ah here! These are for um, for you. I'm not really sure what flowers they are, aside from the roses, but the lady at the shop just put it together for me when I told what they were for. I hope you're not allergic to any of them." My heart swelled as I took the flowers from him and brought them to my face. They had a delicate aroma that tickled the inside of my nose and felt as though it traveled all the way up to my brain.

"Thank you, Shuichi. They're so pretty!"

"You think so? Oh, that's good"

I stepped aside to present him with the doorway into my house.

"Well, come on in!" His body seemed to go rigid as he contemplated the interior, as if a soldier standing at attention.

"Yeah... right! Well then, I guess I'll just... come in! Thank you for having me!" He began stepping forward, one leg after another, body still stiff as a board. He kind of reminded me of a robot. One far less advanced and sophisticated than K1b0. Shutting the door behind him, I turned back around and tilted my head as he just stood in the middle of the foyer. A lone totem pole in the center of summer camp. _Wait what?_ I rolled my eyes with a smirk as I came up behind him and took his arm.

"How about we go to the kitchen. I can find something to put these guys in before taking them up to my room." I felt a jolt run throughout his entire body at my touch before he nodded.

"That- that sounds, great. Yes! Why don't we go ahead and do that."

"Yes, lets!"

I pulled him along, since I knew he probably wasn't gonna move on his own. We walked down the hall towards the kitchen and I felt like I was trying to lead a horse to water. When we neared the threshold to the kitchen, I peeked inside to see if mom was still in there. Thankfully, the coast looked clear. _Hopefully I can just fill a glass up with water and make it upstairs before she comes traipsing in like a-_

"Heeellooo there!" _Ugh, dammit._

I stared my mom down as she emerged from inside our walk-in pantry. I couldn't help but notice "she wasn't coming out with anything in hand. It as almost as if she was waiting in there the entire. How interesting. Well, there wasn't much I could do at this point. Might as well just hurry up and rip this band-aid clean off here and now. It'll only make things easier down the road.

"Shuichi, this is my mom. Mom, this is Shuichi Saihara."

Shuichi stepped forward, as if being called upon to recite his answer in a spelling bee, his chin even held slightly up at an odd angle, as a child would standing at a microphone that is slightly too tall for him to naturally speak into.

"H-hello, m-ma'am! I'm Sweetie Shaihara. I MEAN Shuichi Saihara! It's- it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm a f-f-friend of your daughter's!"

 _"Shuichi_ is _aware that I actually communicate with my mom, right?"_ I held my laughter back behind my palm as my mom took his hand in her own and gave it a soft shake.

"Well, hello Shuichi. It's so very nice to meet you," As she took her hand back from him, I couldn't help but notice my mom subtly wipe her hand on the side of her pant leg. My laughing threatened to burst out from behind my pursed lips and through my fingers, but I remained strong. I didn't want to mortify poor Shuichi more so than I knew he must already be feeling. "Kaede has told me an awful lot about you. In fact, it's hard to ever keep the conversation away from eventually coming back around to you." My terrible, awful, no-good _harpy_ of a mother relayed to Shuichi, relayed information that really did not need to be brought up.

The heat in my cheeks began to feel unbearable as the Wicked Witch of the End of the Hallway continued, "She says she's been teaching you piano?"

"Y-yes ma'am! Kaede is an incredible talent and an absolutely amazing teacher! I couldn't be more honored to have her teaching me!" My mother chuckled into her delicate fist, she too immediately catching on to Shuichi's all but too obvious anxiety.

"Well, I would hope so. You know, we've had some musicians and composers that work in the stage and film industries pay absolutely _grotesque_ amounts of money to have her teach them. My daughter must really think you're something special." The hag continued on, giving me the most annoyingly smugly amused look I could ever remember anyone giving anyone.

"Really? Oh, gosh, that's so nice of you to say, but… I mean, I'm nothing special, really. At the very least, nothing special on the piano. Compared to her, there's no way I could even register on whatever scale she's on." I regarded him with a pained grimace at hearing his self-deprecation.

 _"That's not true, Shuichi! You are, singlehandedly, one of the most amazing people I've ever met! Compared to_ you _I'm just a silly, little girl playing music. You're incredible! Recognize it, damn it!"_ Unsurprisingly, my nonverbal encouragements and affirmations failed to reach him. Unfortunate, as I would have given _anything_ for just one thing to absolutely distract him as the hag giggled and uttered her next statement.

"You are just the sweetest thing, aren't you? And my daughter was right, you _are_ 'the absolute cutest', aren't you?"

"OKAY, MOM! DON'T YOU HAVE TO DO A THING AT SOME PLACE ELSE! YES, I BELIEVE THAT YOU DO! MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET TO THAT! IT WAS SUPER IMPORTANT WASN'T IT! YES INDEED, THE _MOST_ IMPORTANT! WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO KEEP YOU FROM YOUR SUPER IMPORTANT THING AT THE SUPER IMPORTANT PLACE! THANK YOU, GOODBYE!" I pushed her along, as if, if I was able to get her out of eyesight quick enough, the pure, unadulterated weaponized embarrassment that shot forth from my mother's mouth like artillery fire landing directly in the middle of my camp would somehow fail to make it to Shuichi's ears.

After finally getting my mom, who seemed irritatingly amused by the situation I know she knew all too well she had left me with, out into the hallway, and making damn well sure she ascended the stairs and outside of the vicinity of Shuichi's circle of hearing, I turned back around to the boy in the middle of the kitchen. His face was a neutral, unreadable blank. No information could be inferred from it, other than the vague notion that something inside of him must have broke. _Thanks mom. It's good to know I can always count on my 'loving and caring' family to help me out in times of great need._

I steeled myself with a deep breath before approaching The Statue Formerly Known as Shuichi Saihara. Getting up close next to him and not having him react in any way shape or form, it really did almost feel like he was a statue. And it was _really_ creeping me, the hell out. I raised my hand in front of his face and snapped my fingers a few times before he was finally pulled from… where ever it was that he had gone. His face immediately swelled with a passionate, crimson tint that seemed to spread like a wildfire on a dry, summer day in the desert.

He looked around, as if he didn't understand where he was for a moment. As his eyes focused on me though, I took this opportunity to try and undo the, what I knew was most likely irrevocable, damage my mother had done. A girl has the right to keep _some_ of her cards close to her chest, isn't she!? Yes, of course she is! Shut up!

"So! Shuichi, are you hungry?" He looked around for one second, as if _actually_ not knowing where he was at first. But eventually, he was able to gather himself enough to focus on me, enough for him to be able to slowly nod his head in affirmation of my question, "Great! How does fish sound to you?"

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, don't worry, I'm still working on 'This I Promise'. I've got the next chapter nearly completed. So rest assured, it's on it's way. Sorry it's taken so long. Like I said last time, I've been taking lots of overtime at my work, and this past week I've been on vacation just trying to relax and collect my pieces that have been taken and scattered by the job.

Anyhoo, this is actually somewhat of a gift to my favorite Dangaronpa youtuber, Weeby Newz. She ships Kaede and Shuichi super hard, and now that she's finished their free time events in V3, I thought I'd make this for her, so that she could have just a little bit more of the Kaehara goodnees I know she craves lol. Hopefully she'll like this shit. If you don't know who she is, just search her name in Youtube and you'll find her straight away. Her bread & butter are her character analysis videos, where she delves deep into select characters character and back stories so that you can try to cultivate a deeper understanding, and hopefully, a deeper appreciaiton for some characters.

She also has such a genuine and sincere passion for the series that's it's hard not to smile listening to her talk about it, or see her reactions to the sweet, sweet zaniness of V3. For real, go check her out. If you love the franchise, you won't be disappointed. For real.

Also, this was actually intended to be just a oneshot… but, it's ended up becoming a lot longer than I thought it would be. Lol oops. Oh well, it shouldn't be more than 5 chapters max. So please bear with me as I indulge in this silly, little love letter to someone who makes being a fan of Danganronpa even more enjoyable. And as always, please let me know what you think! Whether you think my writing is amazing(what is wrong with you?), or you think it needs improvement, please, please, PLEASE tell me! Not only do I want to improve in areas that I'm weak in, but obviously, I also want to reinforce the areas in which I'm strong. So really, please, let me know what you think. Your thoughts and opinions can only ever help in making your reading experience of my stories more enjoyable!


	2. TELL ME EVERYTHING YA KNOW, PUNK!

_Lemons, salt, oregano, garlic powder, butter,_ _mizuna._ _T_ _hat's everything… and then there's..._ I couldn't contain an internal groan that roared throughout my very soul as I regarded the big, fat, _whole_ salmon that lay expectantly upon the cutting board. _Thanks mom._

It's dead, unmoving, perfectly round eye seemed to look up at me… terrified, awaiting the final demise it knew was coming. Glancing over to Shuichi standing next to me, it seemed he was feeling similarly to myself. We continued to stare at the hulking slab of dead animal, hoping that maybe…. A magic meteor would fall from the sky, smash into the fish, and a delicious grilled salmon dinner would simply be there. Unfortunately, whatever god in charge of such occurrences seemed to be inconspicuously indisposed at the present time. So no luck on that front.

I clenched my mouth tight and balled my fists. This was ridiculous! There's a wonderful meal inside that thing just _waiting_ for us to go in there and find it! We need to take action. We had to! _I absolutely refuse to have the very beginning of our day together ruined before it could even start!_ _It's time to get medieval on this trout(or whatever)!_ I turned to Shuichi, raising my fists in the most encouraging power stance I knew how to muster.

"Okay Shuichi! We're going to do this, alright? This is happening! Right here, right now! You and me, against that fish! Mano y aleta! Are you ready to do this thing?" I needed to not only get myself pumped, but I needed to hype up Shuichi as well. There was no way I was going to be able to handle this on my own, so I need him to be here with me! There were about a hundred ways that this situation could have gone right, and of course, my mom figures out the _one_ way to make it go wrong. But what's done is done! This is the situation we have to deal with now, and oHO were we going to deal with it!

Thankfully, my words seemed to have the desired affect on Shuichi as I saw his conflicted look morph into that wonderful determined smile he gets when he's steeled his resolve. When he does it, he has these super cute, little dimples that pinch the corners of his lips and his eyes look so full of confidence, when normally they look so apprehensive most of the time and— _Hey, HEY! Piano freak! Focus here, alright? Keep your eyes on the prize!_

 _But I am!_

 _Not THAT one, the fish! Before you can get at any of that, you need to take care of this first!_

 _Ah, yes, you're right!_

 _I know I'm right! Now get in gear Akamatsu, and make that 'lovely salmon lunch out on the patio, basking in the warm sunshine while birds chirp and sing and you two would laugh and talk and talk_ _and not realize how much time had passed until you both look to notice the sun setting, turning the sky a beautiful cascade of purples, pinks, and oranges while a delicate, cool summer breeze flutters your hair and you look over to notice how handsome he looks while gazing dreamy-eyed at the_ _horizon until he turns and notices you looking at him and his dreamy eyes stare deeply into yours as you both lean forward across the table and finally come together in a tender moment of pure bliss' happen!_

Taking the briefest of moments to shake off my reverie, I returned Shuichi's conviction. With a nod of camaraderie between us, we both turned our gaze back upon the animal corpse laying before us. Where once, our eyes held only apprehension, they now flared with the fires of purpose! I know, that so long as we stand together, there is nothing Shuichi and I cannot overcome!

* * *

 _OH GOD, THE SMELL!_

It was all I could think as I retched into the trashcan while Shuichi continued trying to dislodge the intestines of the fish into the sink with his knife. His cheeks were puffed with the air he refused to release and fresh. Without thinking, and due to the exhaustion brought upon by my body's aversion to the horrid odor, I accidentally breathed in through my mouth.

 _OH GOD, THE TASTE!_

My uvula shuddered at the offending stench and a fresh wave of gags and retching into the stainless steel bin ensued. I don't precisely know what it was we were expecting, but it definitely was not this. Maybe we thought all there was between 'raw salmon' and 'tasty dinner' was chopping the fish into smaller pieces. At least, that's what the extent of _my_ culinary capabilities assumed. _Why didn't I pay attention when Kirumi tried to teach me some cooking techniques? Maybe they wouldn't have applied specifically to fish, but SOMETHING would be better than nothing at all!_

I could hear Shuichi finally exhale a bursting gasp before his own vocalizations of pain and disgust became entwined with my own. Our duet of repugnance and revulsion, augmented by the acoustics of my kitchen, rang true and pure in the face of this enemy that lay dead and inoffensive on the counter with Shuichi's hands inside it. _Oh sweet Jesus, God, Atua, I don't care who, but SOMEONE end this suffering!_ Shuichi gave a grunt like the snap of a rubber band as he pulled the knife from the belly of the beast and let it clatter into the sink.

"Kaede, I got it! Quick, bring the trash can!" I forced down the nausea that was stacking up in my gut, for I was being called to action. This was my moment. I had been all but useless up to this point, but now it's here. This is it, something that only _I_ could do! I grasped both sides of the bin like a mighty beetle crushing it's prey between it's mandibles( _I've been talking to Gonta too much...)_ and hoisted it into the air and dashed it across the 5-foot no-man's land battlefield from my position over to Shuichi.

Everything had slowed to a crawl, and all sound had faded from the world. There was no sound, no time, no now and then, nor here and there. The very concept and notion of space, time, and reality melted away. All that there was in this moment was movement and determined drive. A drive that motorized those movements towards a single point. This meeting place between Shuichi and I, as profound and astral as the space between God and Adam's fingers, with only one key distinction: that the two of us would actually meet, to light the world and eradicate this evil from the face of the earth once and for all.

And with this final note of triumph and hallelujah, I peeled open the gaping maw of the wretchedness's imprisonment, and with a mighty heave befitting the mythic heroes of old, Shuichi slammed the blight down within the deep, dark chasm of polyethylene. Then, and only then, did I deliver the final note before the bold double bar line of our duet of misery, suffering, and redemption and slam down the stainless-steel seal that would forever hold behind it's threshold The Thing That Should Not Be.

All at once, the world returned. Our cosmic stage, upon which the two of us came together to vanquish a mighty foe, was gone. And what replaced it, unfortunately, was still the remnants of it's unholiness hung in the air like an invisible, evil mist. While not nearly as strong as before, it was still enough to tickle the back of your throat with the delicate threat of vomiting. I set down the trash can and bolted towards the back door leading out onto the porch, swinging them both open with _such_ force. I was immediately greeted with the divine salvation of a cool breeze, carrying with it the scents of wholesome things: trees, flowers, grass, open air; rather than livers, hearts, intestines, and _egg sacks_. The breeze bypassed me and flooded into our kitchen and living room, casting out the remainder of the stench. I breathed in deep the smells of goodness and purity and relished the breeze at it hit the sweat that had built upon on my forehead and cheeks. Turning around, I faced Shuichi. He was panting slightly, no doubt also filling himself with the wonders of summer. I came in to join him back in the kitchen.

He turned towards me and we looked into each other's eyes, both of us feeling as if we needed to say something, yet also feeling that there really was nothing _to_ say. This ordeal, this trial that we faced together; it didn't need words to convey between us the understanding and synergy that existed between Shuichi and I. Our shared experience; we both knew what happened. There was no need to recap nor be retrospective. And the experience alone said all that ten-thousands words could and more. I smiled at him, and he smiled at me. Neither of us could contain the mirth within us from boiling over. A slow, coy giggle and light chuckle soon turned into a wonderful and soul-cleansing laugh shared between us.

The worst was over now, and we could breathe again.

Where once there were cries and gags of pain and agony, now there were guffaws of elation and relief. To me, the sound of Shuichi's laughter entwining with mine, carried in a delicate waltz around us by the wind… it was one of the most beautiful harmonies I had ever heard. None of the great masters of old could possibly ever conceive of such harmony existing between two sounds. It made my heart swell and my head felt as if it were lighter than air. In the back of my mind... a vague notion that I was not even conscious of began to take shape.

That notion was of the future.

 _Our_ future.

One that held countless possibilities that have not yet come to pass. Things to do, places to see… touches to savor; it was all there, and yet not, at the same time. But that's what made my soul soar even higher. Knowing that all our possibilities and what-ifs were to start here, with the two us laughing together.

Eventually, my beloved harmony began to quell as we came down from the clouds we had ascended ourselves into. I wiped the advents of tears from the corner of my eyes as the last chuckles departed from my body, the only reminder of them left behind being my smile that I felt pulling my lips back towards my ears. It met Shuichi's as we gazed into each other's eyes and I couldn't help but find myself lost in his. The color of an overcast day, the kind that you would spend curled up in a warm blanket, watching TV, and drinking some hot tea or cocoa.

I'm sure I must have had a really dopey look plastered on my face at that moment, as Shuichi began to wilt beneath my ogling gaze. Blushing, he looked down at the ground and brought his hand up to do that cute thing where he plays with his hair again. My goo-goo eyes instantly froze over as his hand came up to scratch at his scalp. His wet, bloodstained hand. No doubt feeling the wetness now stuck in his hair, he brought his hand down, confused. He instantly matched my own expression of a deer caught in headlights as we turned to survey the scene.

A grisly sight of pooled blood, no doubt forever staining our cutting board, and blood smeared across the counter top and in the sink. The wickedly sharp knife covered from tip to tip in blood laying menacingly inside of the sink, stained pink. We then simultaneously regarded the gutted remains of the once pristine salmon. Gnarly, inexperienced, haphazard cuts scored the fish into piled of chunks of silver and pink. The fishy smell, while nearly diluted completely by the wind, still lingered enough to send us right back into that place where we could probably never return. With a grimace, I turned a hopeful eye to Shuichi.

"How about we just order pizza."

* * *

After ordering our pizza, and after my mom giving me a light scolding over the state of the kitchen( _I knew I could have brought up how it wouldn't have happened if she had just gotten precut salmon like a regular human being, but I didn't want to get into it with her in front of Shuichi_ ), Shuichi and I had made ourselves comfortable on the couch. Thankfully, the earlier incident, along with some food in his belly, appeared to help him ease up a bit.

He seemed much more relaxed. His shoulders weren't as squared and the constant look he had carried, as if he were waiting for something to jump out at him at any moment, was now replaced by one that I recognized from back at the academy. The same look he would have when we would just walk around the grounds and talk. Talk about things that I couldn't even remember. They seemed so trivial, so mundane, but we could find little nuggets of one another in those conversational ores. And that made them more meaningful and engaging to me than even the most profound and spine-tingling aria.

As he reached over for another slice, I decided that it was time to put my incredibly ingenious, on-the-fly plan into action. Back at the academy, I was only able to ask him a couple questions about himself, one of which he totally punked out on by giving the most wishy-washy answer possible! But not this time, you got no where to run and no where to hide Saihara! Detective Kaede Akamtsu is once again on the case! I had mentally prepped my brand new batch of questions that I was going to get a definite, concrete answer to. Unfortunately, I didn't have my handy, dandy notebook with me to jot everything down, so I was going to have to try to commit everything to memory.

"So, Shuichi, you like to read, don't you?" I pried. Shuichi nodded as he finished off chewing his bite of pizza before speaking.

"I do. I love reading, actually."

"Do you like reading more than watching movies?" He brought his hand to his chin as he pondered for a second.

"Well, you sort of get a different experience with each of them. Movies are all visual and audio stimulus. They say 'a picture is worth a thousand words', and it's really incredible how you can convey so much abstract into simple imagery. And the visuals go hand in hand with the audio and music to create an emotional package that raises the material above what it could be only as visuals or audio."

I nodded, "Mhmm, I know, right? I absolutely _love_ film scores. To be honest, some of my favorite pieces are actually from movies, rather than back during the Romantic or Baroque eras."

"Really? Any in particular?" He sat up straighter.

"Well, I mean, of course all of the big franchises; like the one with the little guy carrying that ring around, or the one with the little boy wizard, and also that one with the laser swords are all staples of most people's lists. But there are other scores that are a bit more under the radar that I think are absolutely beautiful. To be honest though, they're mostly all from movies from my childhood. Like this one about a boy who befriends a whale! Lots of people just think of it as a cute movie family movie, which it is, but there are some really memorable pieces in that one that have stuck with me ever since I was little!

"Oh, and there's also this one animated movie about this mouse, hedgehog, and mole who go on a journey to find a cure for their sick little badger friend. It's not very well known, but when I was kid, I just remember being so entranced by what was happening on the screen, and I'd say about, like 80% of it was because of the music. It's so full and broad, yet also so light and delicate. It's like a children's fairytale made into sound! Oh, and then there's"— _Wait a second!_ I'm _the one who's supposed to be running this interrogation!_ _Curse_ _you Shuichi! You and your exceptional_ _ly attentive_ _listening skills_ _that make it seem like you're actually interested and invested in what I have to say_ _! This is no time for you to be showing off; I'm trying to work here!_

I stopped myself and cleared my throat, trying to take back the reigns of this conversation, "Well, you get the idea, haha. But anyway, so what's your favorite book, Shuichi? And your favorite author too. And your favorite genre! Is it mystery, or detective novels?" _Back in the saddle again._ He recoiled slightly as I leaned in to press him, waiting expectantly for his answer. He averted his eyes away from mine as he began to think.

"Um, well… yeah," he chuckled at himself as he continued, "I guess I'm just that boring and predictable, you know? A detective who likes mystery and detective novels."

"There's nothing boring about that!" I fired at him, "It's perfectly reasonable that a professional, _especially_ an Ultimate would surround themselves with their work or talent. I mean, I like to watch musicals and listen to classical; does that make me 'boring', since I'm a pianist?" I had only meant to make a point, I didn't think anyone would think I was being it serious, but Shuichi seemed to.

He turned back to me, straightened himself up, and leaned himself toward me. He looked me directly in the eye, showing that he was completely serious and convicted in what he had to say, "No! Absolutely not! Kaede, you are, without a doubt, one of the most interesting, fun, talented, and sweet people I have ever met! Please don't ever think of yourself that way, because it is not even within the same realm of existence as the truth."

And now, he was now the one making _me_ recoil. He kept boring straight into my eyes with that sharp, intense gaze of his. It pierced deeply into me, to the very core of my being. I vaguely noted how I could feel my cheeks heating up. I didn't know exactly what I felt in that moment, but what I did know was that, as I gazed into his eyes, there was no way I could bring myself to disagree with him. Something about that look of his… it made me feel as if what he said was an absolute truth. It was not a hypothesis, a guess, or even a theory; it was a plain and simple fact, a fact he was trying desperate for me to realize as much as he did.

Finally finding my voice, lost somewhere within my throat, I said, marginally above a whisper, "O-okay Shuichi. I mean, I wasn't _actually_ saying that I'm boring, I just wanted you to understand that... liking to indulge in what you're good at or passionate about doesn't make you boring. That's all. Okay..?" He regarded me for a moment, as if trying to search my face for some trace of falsehood or doubt. With a few blinks of his eyes, he set his back against the armrest of the couch. Clearing his throat, he once again let his eyes drift downwards as a small pink glow bloomed from beneath his porcelain skin.

"I- I'm sorry, Kaede. I didn't mean to be so… forceful." As he tried to busy himself with returning to his pizza, I could still feel the heat in my cheeks, and was now acutely aware of the thick, broad thumping of my heart. It was quick and it was heavy, and it made me feel slightly out of breath and lightheaded. Straightening myself back up again, I placed a hand over my chest to try and quell the drumming beneath my skin. _What was… that? I… why do I feel so… hot?_

I had never seen that side of Shuichi before. He was so intense, so ardent, so…. _Passionate_. The heat in my cheeks felt as if it radiated out to engulf my eyes and travel up and over my head. I felt a tingling across my entire body, like a weak current of electricity buzzing just beneath my skin. And the heat continued to rise ever higher as my mind flew away from me, imagining so many more iterations of that expression, in so many more….. scenarios.

"I should be self-deprecating more often..." I muttered.

"I'm sorry?"

"Huh!? What?"

"I- I couldn't quite hear what said."

"Oh! Nothing, absolutely nothing! Yep, _t_ _otally_ nothing! I was just... muttering to myself, you know? About ahh…. Pia- pianos! That's right! Yeah, y-you know me, good ol' Piano Freak!" I rapped my knuckles upon my head and stuck out my tongue in an attempt to illustrate my dopiness, hoping it would be enough to convince the Ultimate Detective. Or at the very least, get him to drop the subject.

I don't know which one it was, and I didn't care, because he thankfully seemed to accept my slippery excuse. I quietly let out a haggard sigh, feeling as if I had just narrowly avoided being taken out by a speeding train. _Keep yourself together, girl! He hasn't even been here two hours and you're_ already _letting your mind go THERE?_ I shook that, and all previous thoughts from my head and took a couple huge bites of pizza, hoping perhaps the shock of the carbs might get this interrogation, that had gone _way_ off the rails, back on track.

Swallowing the greasy, cheesy, saucy mush, I felt the invigoration begin to rise up from my gut and I put my game face back on, "Okay Shuichi!" He jumped slightly at my sudden outburst.

"Y- yes?"

"I'm still waiting for an answer."

"A what?"

"The answer to my question…..s! What's your favorite book and who's your favorite author? Come on! Gimme the goods, punk!" Shuichi leaned back as I pressed forward with my questioning. _There we go, THIS feels more familiar._

"Um… well, ah… I guess, off the top of my head… I'd probably say, the one about an FBI profiler tracking down a serial killer, with the help of another serial killer that he caught, who's also a cannibal." My face set into a look that probably perfectly illustrated the notion of, 'WTF'. Shuichi, noticing, scratched at the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle, "Ah, sorry. I know it sounds pretty gruesome, and in a lot of ways… it is. But I just find the way the book illustrates the bizarre and psychologically complicated relationship that criminals and law enforcement have with one another really fascinating," He then looked back at me sheepishly, "I hope that doesn't make me seem… I don't know; creepy, macabre, disturbed, you know..."

I quickly snapped myself to attention, flailing to get him off this train of thought I could tell he was already beginning to barrel down, "I'm sorry! No, I don't think that at all! I mean, sure, that does seem a bit… dark, but there's nothing wrong with having tastes that are a bit edgier than others. In fact, I think it's really cool! I've never even heard of that book before, but once you get past the initial shock of the premise, it does sound interesting." I flashed him with the most reassuring smile I could muster, desperate to keep him on the path of ease and contentment that he had been on for the past half hour. Luckily, it seemed to do the trick, as he gave smiled back at me, "And what about your favorite author?"

"Mm, well I kind of have different favorites depending on which genre we're talking about. I can't really pick a single one out of all of them. Like, if we're talking about mystery then it's hard to go wrong with Agatha Christie. Some people might think that's clichéd and boring, but her books are classics of the genre for a reason. I really like Neil Gaiman's style of fantasy. It's more grounded in every day life, rather than the tales of some hero in some far off, fantastical land, which makes it fun to think about how it could actually really happen.

"With general literary fiction, I enjoy a lot of Margaret Atwood's books. She has a real interesting way of looking at social norms and holding a mirror up to society and asking them why it is they are who they are. For more classical literature, I'd say Victor Hugo would be my favorite for that. I can kind of relate to his characters who feel marginalized, and show that a lot of times, people's misfortunes are not entirely their own fault. Sometimes, things that are outside of your control just happen to you, and no matter how much you fight… sometimes you just can't escape it.

"With science fiction, it's sort of a toss up between Dan Simmons and Harlan Ellison. Usually it depends on what I'm in the mood for. Then there's horror and-" Shuichi stopped mid-sentence, as if just waking up from a dream and not quite sure whether he was awake or still asleep. He looked at me, my head propped up on the heels of my hands, resting on my crossed legs, completely entranced by his nuanced, detailed reasoning and the depth of his appreciation for literature.

Unfortunately, he seemed to have decided that that was enough, as he coughed into his fist, "Well um, you get the idea." I frowned. I honestly wanted to hear more. I could have listened to him ramble on about his love of books and reading all afternoon! But, I realized that I have a list I need to adhere to. If I kept letting myself get sucked in by every explanation he could give, I wouldn't be able to get through even a _third_ of it!

Disappointed though I was, I forced it down and pressed on. _Eyes STILL on the prize!_ "Wow Shuichi, I had no idea you were so enthusiastic about reading!" He smiled.

"I just like exercising my brain. Things like puzzles, maps, figuring out the murderer in those games about that ace attorney before the characters do; I loved that sort of stuff when I was a kid. I do really enjoy movies, but when you read a book, it's up to you to imagine the world, the characters, everything that exists and everything that happens. It engages you a lot more and you can make the world as rich or shallow as you want.

"A movie will always look the same to everyone who watches it, but everyone has slightly different ways of thinking about what characters or settings in a book look like. So… yeah, I just think it's fun to get the motor in my brain running whenever I can." I nodded my understanding to him.

"I think I get what you're saying. Every piece has the same notes, the same number of rests, the same number of beats to sustain a note, but true musicians are able to take those pieces and make them into something unique to them. Something about the way they play, the energy they put into it, whether they decided to play some passages piano, and others forte; they can turn even the strictest of pieces into something that only they would ever think to play."

Shuichi smiled at me as I finished talking. It was that same warm, gentle smile he had when I told him about my dream to compose music for movies and games. He was the first person I had ever told that to. And to hear him say that he believed I could do it… I felt like I could have just floated right out of the room. The same way I feel I could now, "W-what? Did I say something weird..?" I clutched at my elbow as I fidgeted under his benevolent stare.

"No, not at all Kaede. I just really enjoy listening to you talk about music, is all."

"Oh… really? Oh wow, thank you. Nobody's ever said they've enjoyed listen to me talk about music, particularly the piano. People usually just either want me to play or to just shut up about it."

"I would never do that, Kaede. Listening to how enthusiastic you get talking about it; I find it really endearing." _How is he doing this!? I'M supposed to be in control here! This is MY interrogation! Why does he have to be so damned charming!?_

I clutched the hand holding my elbow, clutching up a fistful of my sleeve, "How… how can you just casually say such embarrassing things like that?"

"What was that?"

"I SAID, next question! So we discussed your favorite book and author, what about movie?"

"My favorite movie, huh? Well, let's see… there's is this one about a Catholic priest that everyone loves, but the principal sister of the church's parish school is convinced he's molested one of the students. The whole movie really gives you just enough reasons to believe that he could or couldn't have done it. It's a really interesting and engrossing demonstration of how difficult it can sometimes be to discern what is true and what isn't. I guess, as a detective, that sort of story really resonates with me."

I could feel my eye give a little twitch, but I kept my smile up. _Another trip into Dour Town, courtesy of tour-guide, Shuichi,_ "I-I see. That does sound pretty… enthralling, haha." _I'm gonna hurry up and get us past this part of the tour,_ "Alrighty then, let's try a simple one this time; what's your favorite color?"

"Do we really need to be talking so much about me? What about you?"

"Oh, no no no no no, I don't think so. You are in _my_ house, Saihara, literally! I rule this domain, therefor, what I say goes. And what I say, is that we are going to talk about you and _only you_!" Thankfully, that seemed to nip any delusion he might have had that I was going to let him turn this around on me in the bud, "Now then, favorite color." I fixed him with an expectant gaze and the cockiest smirk I could muster. Exerting my home-turf authority was pretty satisfying, actually. I got this.

"My favorite color? Well… um…" He was beginning to fidget in his seat. He reached his hand up to toy with his bow tie, which I found confusing. How in the world could his favorite color be something he could get embarrassed about? "It's ahm… y- yellow."

I was shocked. Considering his other tastes and the way he dresses and his overall personality, I thought for sure it would be something darker or cooler, like blue, or black, or maybe even purple. I was definitely not expecting yellow.

"Really? Huh. Well, I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting that. What makes yellow your favorite color?" I could swear I now could see steam rising up from his ears and face. He crossed his arms in front of himself and began scratching at his cheek, refusing to look at me. I tilted my head, confused. I definitely wasn't expecting _this_ question of all questions to be the one to get such an intense reaction from him. I leaned in towards him, partly out of curiosity, partly because I was actually a tiny bit concerned about him, "Shuichi? Are you okay?"

He seemed to tense up even more, seemingly very interested in the texture of our couch. Then I heard him mutter something. It was a breath above a whisper, like the air displaced by a butterfly's wing beat, "What? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you." His bangs hung down as he seemed to tense up even more, if that were even possible. Again, he muttered something, slightly louder this time, but no where near coherent enough for me to decipher, "Hmmm?" I leaned in even closer to him, now barely more than a foot away from his face.

"It's the color of your hair…"

My mind went blank. I leaned back into my original position and just kind of… stared at him. I was aware my mouth was hung open and that I was attempting to form words, but it was as if there was a drain plug, stopping anything from exiting. I blinked once, twice, three times, four times… I stopped keeping track after that. Shuichi kept himself tightly wound up, no doubt wondering what I would say next. I too was wondering about that as well.

I felt as if I wasn't actually me. I was inside my body, but my body was not actually me. Everything I saw and felt felt as if I was experiencing it auxiliary. Like being in a car, knowing that you're moving, but you yourself are not actually going anywhere. At last, I felt a crack in the dam of my throat, and one squeak was able to leak out, which immediately broke down the remainder of the structure.

A-ah um… I uh… I… excuse me, I- I really need to use the restroom. Is- is that okay, Shuichi?" He finally looked up towards me once again, a beam of slight confusion beaming through the clouds of his embarrassment. He no doubt was wondering why I would ask for _his_ permission to use _my own_ restroom. Particularly after my whole little 'this is MAH house!' spiel. Nevertheless, he nodded, and even managed to breathe out, "Yeah."

"Thank you. I'll be right back, okay?" I rose from my seat and felt my legs, that were also not my legs, wobble for a split second. I caught myself on the couch's armrest before turning to head down the hallway towards the bathroom. Even though it only took me maybe about ten seconds to get there, it still surprised me to find myself already standing in front of the door. I felt as if I had been walking on air, never once feeling my feet connect with the floor beneath me. I reached for the knob and, at first, knocked my knuckles into the door just beneath it.

I didn't even look at the knob. I just couldn't do anything but stare right into the smooth, sanded, white tundra of the door. Finally, I felt my hand flop, like a mangled frog, around the knob and swung the door inward. Once inside, I grabbed the knob with both my hands, behind me, walked backwards and shut the door.

Leaning against the door, on my own, away from Shuichi; everything I think I was meant to have felt in that very moment, but for some reason, somehow, got delayed some where along the way, suddenly came running up from behind me like a hulking, powerful lioness springing forward to take down it's prey. She grasped me with her enormous clawed paws. I could feel the weight of her mass upon me, forcing me down to the ground. The pressure she brought down upon me was sudden, strong, and terrifying. Then, her powerful jaws came down upon my jugular, and unfortunately… that spelled the end for me.

I sucked in an enormous breath through my nose, inflating my lungs as quickly as a helium tank does a balloon. Then, from deep within my diaphragm, with the pressure of a fire hose, a shriek erupted from within me that, had not muffled by my lips that I had clamped tighter than lock, any vice, any skull crushing jaw in the animal kingdom could ever hope to match. The heat. My ears felt as if they both had the muzzle of a hairdryer directly upon them and every inch of my facial real estate above my mouth was ablaze with the fury of a thousand suns.

I slid down until I came to a kneeling position, resting against the face of the door. My face was in my hands, but even their relative coldness soon melted against the heat of my face, which felt like you could probably fry an egg on at this point. Now, my thoughts finally could take form.

 _How, HOW is he able to do this to me!? Where the hell did that even come from? He shows up in his prom outfit, barely able to move once we get inside, NOW he starts shooting off nonsense like THAT? This isn't fair! At this rate, I don't even know if I can handle getting through the rest of my questions. Now that I've entered into dangerous territory. Who knows how many more land mines are waiting around for some unsuspecting piano freak to oh so confidently and brazenly come waltzing through, thinking she's got everything figured out and under control!_

 _Just….GAGH! Why is he so! Freaking! CUTE!? Is it illegal to be that adorable? It sure as hell feels like it SHOULD be!_ _Every moment I spend with him is just one more opportunity for him to show off how absolutely, irritatingly, unbelievably wonderful he is! How can I even hope to get through the rest of this visit? Officer down, officer down! Detective Kaede Akamatsu, requesting backup!_

* * *

A/N: Holy shit. I went into labor to deliver this chapter. It is by far, the longest chapter I've ever written for anything. 6000+ words. Jeez. Unfortunately, I'm the sort of writer that doesn't fully know what they are going to write until they actually sit down and start. It makes the whole process unpredictable. But I guess, at least, it's never boring.

I don't know where I was or what I was doing with the beginning of this chapter. I think I was just desperate to start getting _something_ onto the page, so I went with something that I thought would… do something. Anything! So long as it wasn't nothing and it could get the ball rolling. Thankfully, it accomplished both those things. Well, so with the way I seem to be writing this, there's a possibility this may end up being more than 5 chapters. Unless I make ALL of them as long as this one. Who knows, maybe I _will_ do that. But whatever, it's 1AM, I'm tired, I think I'm slightly buzzed on kombucha, and I'll probably regret how informal and haphazard this note is once I've finally gotten some sleep, but that's future me's problem.

Anyway, as always, please tell me what you guys think, both positive and constructively negative. Thanks for reading, have a fantastic day/night.


End file.
